They are dressed in clerical robes bearing the cult's insignia. The color of their robe indicates their rank: black is for the lowest rank, red for the highest rank, and purple for the intermediate rank.

The zealots are better equipped than the Villagers, using a variety of medieval armaments. Also, their robes change in style as Leon S. Kennedy (the game's protagonist) progresses further into Salazar's castle, which includes some high-ranking zealots wearing bullet-proof masks that make head shots ineffective.

They look and behave significantly less human than the village peasants. Unlike the villagers who can walk, run, speak and carry out daily tasks normally, the Zealots seem more detached from the world, shuffling around, mumbling Muere, muere, muere (Die, die, die) and Morir es vivir (To die is to live). Their skin is much paler than that of the villagers, and all of them appear to be bald. Some have crimson lesions or ritual scarification, while others appear to have tattoos covering their faces.